So we’ve heard quite a lot of “noise” about the confederate flag. For the people who want to fly the flag, fly it! For those of you who don’t want to, don’t. There case closed. However, the “history” of the flag is that it is a battle flag from a war that was fought. And, like most wars someone had to win and someone had to lose. The south lost and the battle is over. Well, obviously not for some people. To many this flag represents the ongoing “battle” in the hearts of those who just didn’t like the way things turned out. There are those that say it represents Southern Pride. Is that the consensus of all southerners or just a certain sect of southerners?

Now I question those who take offense to the Swastika for what it historically symbolizes, and wouldn’t be caught dead displaying it. It has a bad connotation, bad memories of suffering, degradation and of millions put to death at the hands of the Nazis. Yet, there are those that still pay “homage” to the Swastika despite it’s unpopularity and revulsion by the majority of people everywhere, except Hinduism and Buddhism where it has long been considered a sacred symbol. Question, what do you think when you see the Swastika? If you find it offensive are you uninformed, uneducated or just plain stupid? Or does it remind you of a terrible time in world history?

For those of you Christians who want to praise God with your left hand, and swear by bigotry, revenge and hatred with the constitution in your right hand go right ahead. If you want to place the Swastika, oops I mean Confederate flag on your house, your car or even your forehead, please go right ahead and do that. But not on public buildings. If you are displaying it to show southern pride, you’re not fooling anyone especially the millions of southerners that it offends.

And then there is the American Flag. There are those that choose Not to display it, starting coincidentally when Barack Obama became President of the United States of America. But these same people swear by the bible and the constitution and hate everything else about America, especially the will of the people. People like this are just plain “unhappy” because they didn’t get their way. But if someone like themselves had run for president and won, they would love America, fly the flag and think that America is ok. I call that SOUR GRAPES!!!!!

For lack of a better word, I would describe what happened in Charleston, South Carolina as “An Awakening”. What else could you call it when something so tragic, so heinous happens that caused the American People to come together in a sign of solidarity that hasn’t been seen in this country for a long time? America’s heart was broken last Wednesday evening in Charleston. At least a lot of American hearts were broken. Gun advocates (I am neither their opponent nor their antagonist regardless of what you may hear) did the obligatory “oh how awful” and immediately started talking about the killings in terms of ” it’s not the fault of guns”! Of course it’s not, but duh, what’s wrong with this picture? What’s wrong with all these pictures that have been playing out lately? As I said previously in a prior post, it’s not just one single thing like a gun. He could have thrown a bomb in the church, or dropped a cyanide capsule through the roof and killed them all. What he used to KILL them is secondary to the fact that HE WANTED THEM DEAD. Hey, are you ready to have a conversation yet?

The families of the shooting victims at the Immanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina extend their “forgiveness” to Dylan Roof. Is this kind of forgiveness something that you could see yourself doing? The more I think about this, the more I’m convinced that it is not about one single thing. When you have hatred within you and you mix that with guns, mental illness , bigotry, racial bias or any other disruptive social ideology, you get a recipe for disaster. If the people ( or even one person ) in Mother Immanuel AME Church had been armed, could this horrific incident have been prevented? Maybe, Maybe Not. Yet, if just one life was loss (victim or perpetrator), it’s still too much loss due to senselessness. Anyone who thinks that I am anti-guns is so wrong! Our precious constitution gives me and everyone else in our country that Right. But with that Right comes a Responsibility to not infringe on the safety of others or subject them to oppression at the hands of your guns. For people who can’t for whatever reason make that rational determination, THEY DON’T NEED A GUN!

I’m really getting exited about this blog. To introduce The Recipe Page, I’ve decided on a “summer meal”. When I was a child and it was too warm outside and even warmer inside( no air conditioning), for my mother putting on the oven was not an option. Speaking of “warm”, at some point we’re going to need to talk about GLOBAL WARMING. Now back to my mother’s “summer meals”. The exceptions would be an ear of corn or meat on the grille during the week, but it would be full throttle on Sundays: Always two meats. Usually, beef, ham or lamb and something else- chicken, fish (fish has always been a favorite in my home.) Holidays in our house were festive: with family, great food, laughter…..great memories. Okay, enough of that! Back to Today’s Summer Meal. Halt, wait a minute! You will not believe what just happened! I’m ready to start writing about Today’s Summer Meal when I get a call asking me to make some fresh fruit salad for tomorrow. So, I made it. The call to duty caused me to put the cart before the horse because the actual meal consists of Chicken Salad, Fresh Fruit Salad and some yogurt on the side.

Top if off with a nice glass of freshly brewed lemon iced tea, and there you have it! So, my next Recipe Post will feature the entire meal including the chicken salad. Enjoy, Nel

Fresh fruit salad consists of honeydew melon, cantaloupe, pineapple and blueberries. Blackberries, raspberries and kiwis are an added delight but need to be added in when serving. Watermelon and Bananas and strawberries can be added then as well.

Zucchini Chips

June 21, 2015

Just though I would slip this in for fun. They’re Delicious !

Not only is it healthy, it’s dirt cheap too! Cut a zucchini into thin slices and toss in 1 Tbsp olive oil, sea salt, and pepper. Sprinkle with paprika and bake at 450°F for 25 to 30 minutes. Using paprika not only to flavor this healthy snack, but also to boost your metabolism, reduce your appetite, and lower your blood pressure.

I don’t know what to think about Dylan Roof and this situation in Charleston, South Carolina. What was he thinking? You got any ideas? I’m sort of scratching my head. It’s all the talk in the neighborhood, on TV, social media. Is this about mental heath, racism, guns, white supremacy, apartheid, hatred? What is this all about? Let me hear from you.

There is no such thing as “casual dress” or “dress down day” in the office for you if you’re trying to get promoted. You will need to be a cut above the rest. This may sound like a cliche , but always dress for success. A minor token of “no tie” or no “hose” is more than enough to show “your team spirit.”

So, the Trumpster announced that he is running for President of the United States of America. Since so many Americans feel that it’s all about how much money you spend to influence elections, could Donald Trump be the next “POTUS”?

About

A friend told me that I needed a blog. So, here I am and here you are! Thank you and make yourself at home in my bloghome. I like things that make me smile. Laughter is even better. We can get to know each other better, by sharing stories, health tips, work and our families. You will get to meet some of my family and we will have a great time. We can do some shopping, share recipes and talk about world events. When time comes to get serious, we’re going to do that too!